Electrotyping and plating apparatus



. Sept. 24, E

ELECTROTYPING AND PLATING' APPARATUS Filed April 19, 1932 INVENTOP:

Patented Sept. 24, 1935 PATENT OFFIQE ELECTROTYPING AND PLATING APPARATUS Theodor F. Frase, Los Angeles, Calif. 7 Application April 19, 1932, Serial No. 606,203

7 Claims.

This invention relates to devices in which the 1 two terminals of an electric current supply are used in depositing a metal surfacing material to types, cuts, and surfaces of any other bodies dis- .:posed in the apparatus.

One of the objects of this invention is to substitute a mechanical agitating means for the more commonly used air-agitation in such an electrotyping and plating apparatus.

Another object' is to shape one of the terminals of such an apparatus in the form of an agitating arm. I 1

. Another object is to make this arm movable within the apparatus.

Another object is to provide a separate. and independent agitating arm besides the movable terminals for increased agitation.

Another object is to provide a rotating head above the container of such an apparatus to which the terminal arms are removably applied.

Another object is to provide arrangements whereby a higher and more effective electric current can be applied to facilitate a speedy deposition with due regard forquality production.

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing in Which:-

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of assembled apparatus with parts according to this invention, partly broken awayto showdiiferent otherwise covered parts.

Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with a somewhat diagrammatic illustration of electric current supplying means.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross-section through a supporting arm on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Though clear understanding exists in the trade of electrotyping that the depositing is not fully satisfactory and eflicient, proved by the fact that an attempt has been made to improve upon the process by agitating the liquid medium between and around the electric terminals, as by means of an injection of air into the medium, the present invention nevertheless, involves several distinctly new features.

A round reservoir or container 4, with a rotating mechanism for stirring purposes, as the principal details of this new invention, are merely used for the reason that the rotating movement is always preferable over any oscillating mechanism, and for that reason it should be understood that I do not limit myselfto this specific form of such details.

As-illustrated, the reservoir comprises preferably the main stationary structure of this apparatus. A shaft 5 is indicated in Fig. 2 as extending upwardly from below the reservoir to connect a .head 6, above the reservoir, to some sort of actuating source, a pair of gears I with a broken'off shaft 8 being also indicated below the reservoir, to which, it will be easily understood,

an actuating motor can easily be connected without further illustration or description, thereby providing for a rotation of the head 6 with respect to the stationary 'main structure or reservoir 4.

A conductor 9 is mounted on the reservoir in such a manner that a part I0, to be metal-coated or plated, can be suspended in the reservoir by a conducting hanger I I placed or supported on this conductor 9, this customarily forming a cathode of the apparatus in the electrotyping and plating process.

In this case the anode is provided on the rotating mechanism, an arm I2 being removably supported on the rotating head 6 and having the anode I3 attached to its outermost end, the anode extending downwardly from the arm I2 into the liquid medium indicated at I4.

Though the transferring of particles from the anode I3 through the liquid medium I4 upon the 1 surface of the cathode I0 may appear at first glance as the old customary process of electrotyping and plating, having the anode mounted on the head 6 to be rotated or circulated through the medium I4 so that various anodes can pass within suitable range of the surface of the oathode IIl, however, allows a forced process to a much greater extent than in other known processes and apparatus.

This rotation or circulation of this anode or any number of anodes through the bath or liquid medium I4, moreover, makes it possible to agitate the bath by this very rotation instead of having to agitate the bath by extra additional means, as injected air.

From the illustration in Fig. 1 it will be clear that the bent-ends I5 of the supporting arms I2, serve to produce a stirring of the bath by an additional movement in the bath in the direction of the arrow I6. Such a stirring can, of course, be increased by the mere variation of the bending of this extension end I5 to-a position indicated in dotted lines at l5a. This feature allows an increase or decrease of the stirring to any desired or required extent by a suitable bending of the extension ends I5.

Since, the anodes customarily are of rather large and wide proportions, such wide surfaces of the anodes will help in the stirring of the bath when suspended from such'arms I2.

Moreover, if a still stronger agitation or stirring is desired or required extra stirrers are provided on the supporting arms I2 as indicated at IT. These stirrers may not only be set at any angle to produce a radial or tangential stirring but may even be provided with a bent-end 1a to create an upward or whirling stirring of the bath.

Since perfect contacts are desirable between the anode and the rotating head, each supporting arm I2 is provided with an enlarged head [8, illustrated in enlarged scale in Fig. 3 rested in a correspondingly shaped recess IQ of the head 6, having taper surfaces 20 to assure a firm setting and engaging between the enlarged portion 18 of the arm l2 and the head 6.

To assure a good contact between the current supply and the head, brushes 2| are provided in the end of a conducting arm 22 in connection with the current supply through a lead 23.

Another lead 24 connects the conductor 9 with the same current supply means, in Fig. 2 indicated as a dynamo 25 operated by a motor 26, though, of course, it should be understood that any other suitable current supply means can be used.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a reservoir for holding a bath having a central raised portion for bearing purposes at point outside of the bath, a conductor mounted on the top edge of the reservoir, means for supporting parts to be plated on the conductor and so as to be suspended in the bath to form the cathodes of the apparatus, a rotor having a supporting head above said raised portion and having operating means extending downwardly through the raised portion to a point below the reservoir, said head being provided with radial grooves of a cross section wider near the top and narrower near the bottom, metal-supplying anodes removably mounted in said grooves with arms extending radially from said head and having portions formed to be disposed for tangential and up and down stirring in the bath, and means for supplying an electric current to said head and said conductor.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a shaft having a supporting head with engaging guides open in the top in the larger portions near the periphery of the head and terminating in closed pockets near the axis of the shaft transverse to the axis of the shaft for removably holding supporting arms for rotation in a practically horizontal plane for different elements of the apparatus.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a shaft having a supporting head with engaging guides transverse to the axis of the shaft, the guides being in form of grooves open in the top and wider near the top than near the bottom to form a quickly contacting and securely holding means for removable supporting arms for different electro-treating elements of the apparatus.

4. In an apparatus of the class described with a rotating actuator, a supporting arm having 5 contact-making engaging means at one end of a tapered cross-section with an upwardly pointing contact termination for removably seating in the rotating actuating mechanism of the apparatus.

5. In an apparatus of the class described with a rotating actuator, a supporting arm having contact-making engaging means at one end for removably seating in the rotating actuating mechanism of the apparatus and having a sidewise bent end at the opposite end at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the arm for supporting articles.

6. In an apparatus of the class described with a rotating actuator, a supporting arm having an elongated contact-making engaging means of tapered cross-section wider at the top than at the bottom at one end with an upwardly bent termination for readily forming an electric contact and removably seating in the rotating actuating mechanism of the apparatus.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a reservoir for holding a bath, a conductor mounted on the top edge of the reservoir and insulated therefrom, a rotor mounted centrally in the reservoir to move around a vertical axis having a supporting head disposed above the bath and having a shaft extending to a point below the bottom of the reservoir, supporting arms removably engaged in the head and extending radially therefrom, supporting member removably disposed on the conductor and extending into the bath, and current-supplying means connecting the rotor and conductor.

THEODOR F. FRASE. 

